This invention relates to the field of support systems for use in display devices and other elements. More particularly, this invention relates to support shelving, and to sliding and height-adjustable display shelves and modular trays.
In the field of retail sales, items for sale or other merchandise is generally displayed on a display or support system. Many different forms of custom-built support systems are known, and these generally include partition walling and upright support posts. The support posts of such retail merchandise display units, often called xe2x80x9cstandardsxe2x80x9d, are generally formed of roll formed steel sections mounted into weighted bases and have vertically-oriented slots of varied height, width, depth and spacing cut into the front of the standards along the height of the standard, from top to bottom. Other elements, such as horizontal pole brackets or bars (called xe2x80x9cfaceoutsxe2x80x9d), shelves or the like, can be adjustably secured to the standards by interaction between the slots and the slot-specific hooked prongs or flanges that are formed on the attachment portion of the faceouts, shelves or other attachments. The faceout bars and other attachments are thus vertically adjustable relative to the upright in order to allow the retailer to raise or lower these attachments, and the items displayed thereon, as desired.
Typically, however, once a display unit is constructed, stocking it with merchandise can be a difficult chore, especially where the shelves are deep, where the shelves are placed in close vertical relation with one another and where the items to be stocked are delicate or small. In addition, if the stock of merchandise is not generally located near the display unit, it is often desired to prepare the display of merchandise near the merchandise stock and then place the display on the shelves.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a display device having shelves that are vertically adjustable on standard upright units and that are movable inward and outward relative to the display unit.
It is also desirable to provide a display device having modular trays into which display arrangements can be placed and replaced.
Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide an improved display apparatus having shelves that slide inward and outward and are also adjustable vertically with respect to the display apparatus base.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved display apparatus that would allow an entire display within a sliding shelf to be changed easily and quickly.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved display apparatus having modular trays that can be replaced without disassembly of the display unit.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing a sliding and height-adjustable tray shelf unit of a display apparatus, in which a shelf that slides inward and outward relative to the display apparatus is also adjustable vertically relative to the slotted standard of the display apparatus. Each sliding shelf can also incorporate a removable modular tray in order to allow one tray to be replaced with another tray, perhaps already pre-stocked with items to be displayed. Each sliding shelf comprises a support frame that is mounted to the display apparatus or standard by way of hooked prongs or flanges that interact with the slots within the standard. A tray support base or a display tray is mounted to the support frame by any of several ways such that the tray support base xe2x80x9cslidesxe2x80x9d relative to the support frame, such as by wheels that rotate within tracks, pegs or detent tabs that slide forward and backward within tracks cut into a flat surface, and a molded section that slides along an upstanding edge or rail. A display tray can optionally be removably placed into the tray support base for display of merchandise, and the display tray could be pre-stocked with merchandise.